Are you sick of clients who treat you like an afterthought? Always looking for the lowest fees, becoming unresponsive, or ignoring your values as a business owner? Then, it is time to become a client magnet.
It’s incredibly challenging to manage your growing workload, and I am sure you feel like you’re banging your head against the wall after dealing with unpleasant clients.
They seem to disrespect your high standards, you’re not getting the fees or terms you desire from them.
It shouldn’t be this way! You shouldn’t have to work with anyone less than your perfect customer.
You’ll notice that I specified ‘ideal client magnet’ and not just ‘client magnet’ in the title of this article. That’s because you don’t want to attract anyone and everyone. You’re doing this right now, and it’s shooting you in the foot.
Most people will not be your ideal client, and you WANT to repel them – not attract them.
Trust me. The thought of actively repelling clients might feel scary right now, but this could turn your business around. Because the ideal clients are the only ones going to:
- Pay you for the ideal job
- Pay you at the ideal margin
- Respect your high standards
- Respect your effective communication
- Pay you on time
- Put effort into your project together
Being attractive is a continuous journey. It never stops. So here are my top 5 tips to become an ideal client magnet:
Tip 1: Be really clear about what you’re saying yes to
Create a high standard of what you promise, and deliver on what you promise. This sounds ridiculously easy, right?
Wrong! Because if it were easy, everyone would be doing this, and they’re not.
Most business owners forget to create a plan and constantly review it. It’s all well and good to say ‘let’s make sure this job is done to a really high standard’, but what does that actually mean?
HOW are you ensuring those standards are met at every job you do consistency is what will make the difference between you and every competitor in your niche.
You can’t be consistent if you’ve not outlined your high standards and how they can be met. You also can’t be consistent if you don’t regularly review those plans.
It’s all about reputation. If you plan and review your job standards, you WILL build a waiting list of ideal customers who want to do business with you.
Tip 2: Always do the best you can
Importantly, this is not to be confused with being perfect. If you’ve done the very best you can do, you can do no more. And that’s what I want you to say at the end of every job.
“We did everything we could to make this job a success”.
Will there be learnings? Absolutely. Because you can’t be perfect. Those learnings will help you grow and continue doing the best damn job you can for your customers.
Deliver on time and within budget, plus a little more than you promised. EVERY single time! Your reputation for this will grow, and those ideal clients – who want the best and want to pay for the best – will come to you because you’ve proven you are it.
Tip 3: Do whatever it takes to make your customer the hero
Once you understand this concept, it gives you the leg up, and the edge required to become a benchmark business.
It’s an interesting thing to think about. Business owners new to my mastermind group worry about this initially, thinking it’s a door to being taken advantage of. But that isn’t going to happen!
It is your job to lead customers from frustration to freedom.
Think of any movie, and you’ll see the theme of heroes and guides: Star Wars, The Karate Kid, and The Lord of the Rings. As the audience, we’re invested in wanting the hero to succeed, but they need the guide’s expertise to get them to the other side.
Leave your ego at the door. This is about your customers and helping them fulfil their needs and desires. You are the guide; never forget that. You will become the business of choice, continuing to attract ideal customers.
Tip 4: Always show that you care
Emotion is compelling. People might not remember the job details, but they will ALWAYS remember how you made them feel.
Set yourself up to be the solution of choice by treating your customers as people with questions, opinions, and curiosity. Allow them to speak their mind.
In his podcast, British businessman Steven Bartlett recalled a decision that showed up for him eight years later. After being announced as the Dragon on Dragon’s Den UK, he received hateful comments on social media. Someone defended his character, saying that after attending one of his talks eight years ago, Bartlett was outside until 2 am, making sure he spoke with everyone who waited.
Come from the heart, and you will always be on their mind for positive reasons. They might talk about you on Saturday night at that dinner with their family and friends.
Tip 5: Grow your case studies and testimonials
Grow your case studies for your ideal job, at the ideal margin, to your ideal customer.
It doesn’t need to be complicated. Everyone has a smartphone now, so at the end of every job, you can note down the answer to these two questions:
- What did you like best?
- What can we do better next time?
When you know the answer to these questions, you can continue to elevate your business and be attractive to your ideal clients.
Prospective ideal clients want the experience that you’re providing other ideal clients. Show that with your case studies and testimonials.
Build your community so ideal clients can see who you’re surrounding yourself with and feel safe that you have a proven track record of fulfilling your promised high standards.
Want a helping hand becoming an ideal client magnet faster?
Join our Trades and Construction Mastermind Facebook Group! You can ask questions, engage with our team and other business owners, and discover other valuable information, advice, tools and templates.
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